Bring calmness into your life and improve mental health with doodling!

Bring calmness into your life and improve mental health with doodling!

In a world full of busy-ness, we often neglect our own health in lieu of our busy schedules and to-do lists. We complete task after task, day in and day out, without realizing the impact it has on our bodies and minds.

LunchIn was initially started to help busy people eat healthier, be more productive, and feel better throughout the day. However, good health goes beyond a healthy lunchbox. We started the Healthy Moment Monday blog series to go a step further by featuring other amazing businesses and entrepreneurs who are paving the way to help you lead a healthier and happier lifestyle. From nutritional health, to mental health, social health, and even environmental health, we aim to bring you better information about how to be healthier with local solutions.

Last week, we met with the amazing Melissa Lloyd, founder of Doodle Lovely, to tell us how you can use doodling to improve your mental health, all while juggling a busy lifestyle. Melissa is an award-winning designer, artist, daughter, wife, mother, friend, and a woman who is usually moving too fast and in too many directions.

Check out a few snippets from our coversation, below.

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JON: Thanks for taking the time to meet with me, Melissa. I'm excited to hear more about your business and to share your story with our readers.

MELISSA: Thanks for having me, Jon. I'm happy to be here!

JON: Before we get in to the fun stuff, could you tell me a little about Doodle Lovely?

MELISSA: Of course! I'll start with how I'm a busy person. I've always been busy. And, I'm certainly not alone. I always made sure I was tending to a busy schedule and completing tasks to reach ambitious goals. It was exhausting. I started Doodle Lovely to change that. It is intentionally designed for exhausted ¨overworked¨ hyper-scheduled and task obsessed people!

MELISSA: It is also a nationally distributed and artisanally crafted brand, which is on a science-based mission to help people scribble outside the rules of their daily lives. With beautifully designed and quality driven products, Doodle Lovely brings greater calm to your life, creativity to your mind and, most importantly, a few minutes of self-care each day. Doodle Lovely uncovers happiness inducing calm and creativity in just five minutes.

JON: That's amazing, Melissa. I can certainly relate to being a slave to a busy schedule and a never ending to-do list. But, I never thought of doodling as an outlet for self-care to fight the stress of busy-ness. That's a very interesting discovery. Earlier, you told me that you left a successful career as a designer to start Doodle Lovely. What made you decide to make the leap to even get started?

MELISSA: My own fast track had gotten out of hand, actually, and I was feeling burnt out, a bit empty, and directionless. I decided it was time to take some time for me, to try to relax, reset, and find some clarity.

MELISSA: While I knew I needed a change, the thought terrified me! How can someone who’s used to flying at the speed of light bring things down to cruise control? How can I shake the pressure of trying to be perfect and just be ME? So I picked up a pen. Reluctantly at first, as it had been so long since I just was an ‘artist’, and the fear of judgement felt close and raw.

MELISSA: I started to doodle.

MELISSA: I discovered how non-judgemental doodling is, how it acts as a gateway to your subconscious, and is a kind of exercise in mindfulness. Anything goes in doodling! I doodled while I listened to music, I doodled watching Netflix, I sometimes doodled into the wee hours of the morning. It was something I just found myself getting lost in. It was amazing the profound effect this had on me mentally. It brought an incredible amount of calm. And then it dawned on me, “There is more!”

MELISSA: With my new perspective, everywhere I looked there were things around me that pointed to the conversation about taking time for you, doodling, and the incredible benefits of inviting more calm and creativity in your life.

JON: Wow, you literally have me wanting to reach for that pen and just start doodling. I actually felt the calm set in, myself, as you spoke about getting lost in doodling. And, I wholeheartedly agree that we all need a little more calm and creativity in our lives.

JON: Before we move on, I look forward to seeing where you go with Doodle Lovely, especially the products and services you develop. Could you tell me a little about what keeps you going? What inspires you to continue to grow your business?

MELISSA: Honestly, it's the opportunity to meet and continually hear from people! Even if Doodle Lovely can make a little difference in someone’s day; this is certainly what keeps me energized to keep the conversations and new product ideas coming!

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THE CREATIVE MIND, HAPPY SOUL JOURNAL

One of the products that Melissa has developed through Doodle Lovely is called the Creative Mind, Happy Soul Journal. The journal is a judgement free and science based solution to:

"Doodle Your Way to a Happier Life"

As Melissa puts it: "Crazy schedules, busy lives and never ending task lists suck the fun out of life and the life out of you. GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO BE AWESOME!"

You can buy the journal on the Doodle Lovely website, and as a Healthy Moment Monday reader, you can save $5! Simply clickHERE, complete your order, and use the code below at checkout.

Get the journal for $5 off off! Be sure to use HEALTHYMON at checkout.